Friday

The former vice president -- known for his longtime efforts to educate citizens about global warming -- spoke at Tufts University on Feb. 7 as part of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Distinguished Speaker series, where he discussed the importance of recognizing climate change and its consequences.

Kelly Sims Gallagher, a professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, moderated the discussion. The event was open to members of the Tufts community and local leaders from Medford and Somerville, including Mayor M. Burke, City Council President Richard Caraviello and Somerville Board of Aldermen President Katjana Ballantyne.

Gore began his remarks by discussing his upbringing in a family with a history of public service. Though he imagined himself going into politics at a young age and ultimately pursued it as a career, he did become disillusioned by American politics at one point.

“I was disillusioned by the Vietnam War and President Richard Nixon,” Gore said. “Then finally, I found my way back to an appreciation for what elected politics could give you.”

In discussing his work as an advocate for climate science, Gore -- whose efforts in this arena spurred the Oscar-winning 2006 documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" -- pointed to some of the dangers of the current presidential administration’s actions, especially President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.

But despite the withdrawal, Gore remains optimistic that the United States is still on course to honor the agreement through the work of states and new technologies that make sustainability achievable.

“We now see the projections, with a high degree of confidence, that the United States will meet and exceed its commitments under the Paris Agreement regardless of what President Trump does or says or tweets," he said.

Toward the end of the event, Gore answered questions from students. One asked about how to address climate denial among family members.

“How do we, as young and passionate academics, share these messages succinctly, simply and impactfully in order to create convincing viewpoints for the doubters, questioners and nonbelievers in our lives?” one student asked.

In his reply, Gore pointed to the tribalism of politics as a factor that has caused people to doubt information from sources they don’t agree with politically. He also said that the internet has played a role in further confusing people and politicizing the issue. But he also believes the internet is a tool that could play a role in repairing that damage.

Gore further stressed that people cannot tiptoe around the word "climate" simply because it draws ire or doubt from some. He also noted that there are now specific weather events that scientists can point to in order to demonstrate the consequences of unchecked climate change.

“There is a new participant in this conversation: Mother Nature,” he said. “Climate-related events are having a pretty massive impact.”

Ultimately, Gore is optimistic that the future will be sustainable.

“I have come to believe that the world is now in the early stages of a sustainability revolution that has the magnitude of the industrial revolution, but the speed of the digital revolution,” Gore said.